How To Experience Deep Inner Peace w/ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

0:04This is the Ed Milet Show. Welcome back to the show, everybody. I'm so honored to have this beautiful being sitting across from me here today. I've been a fan of his work for a long time. It's made a big impact in my life. I guess the best way to describe him is he's a spiritual leader. He's an ambassador of peace in the world. He's a yoga guru, but he's also just a man who spreads love and bliss and joy throughout the world and gives people the tools of how to live their lives better, including mine. So Gurudev, Shri Shri, Ravi Shankar, welcome to the show finally. Great to have you here. Thank you, Ed, for having me.

0:43So good. You only flew 18 hours from Dubai to do this with me today, so that's all, everybody. So we're going to make this as magical as we possibly can. All right, I have so many things I want to ask you. We really need five hours, but we only have about an hour. So first things first I want to ask you about. You said something so fascinating to me about doubt. I want to ask you about this first. you said we really don't, we only doubt positive things. We don't doubt negative things. And man, I really started to ponder that. I meditated about it and it's very true. So I want you to start out today, just elaborate on that concept about doubt.

1:17Yeah. You see, when someone tells you, I love you a lot, you say you last time, really? You go, really? Right? And similarly, you know, we doubt our happiness. When you say, are you happy? Well, I'm not sure is what the normal response we hear. Right. But that's not the same thing when it comes to negative feelings. When you are depressed, you never say, well, I'm not sure if I'm depressed. You're so sure about your depression. You're so sure about your anger. Right? Yes. You say, I'm mad at somebody. You never doubt our madness with someone, right? Why is that, do you think? That's how it is.

2:00Do you mean it's our nature? It's the nature, right? Do you think our nature is... So that's why we doubt the honesty of a person. We never doubt the dishonesty of a person. Gosh, that's true. When you believe somebody is dishonest, your intuition tells you, I know they're dishonest. But when they are honest, we still wonder or doubt whether they're honest with us. Is that because our nature is to resist... Because I don't believe this intuitively either. So is our nature to resist a blissful or happy state or is it just a higher threshold? No, this is the nature of doubt is such. The opposite of doubt is wonder.

2:42Wonder always has a joy with it. You're right. Children have more wonder and curiosity, don't they? Absolutely. And that's why they have more bliss in their life. Why do you think more people who have achieved external success in their life aren't internally happier? You know, when you have put your 100 % out there, that brings some sort of relief in you. That helps you to repose in yourself. Unless and until we repose in ourselves, we can't find enough peace or happiness. Mm-hmm. So the key is to repose. To repose, you should have the satisfaction. Yeah, I did 100%. Suppose you're on a running race and you put your 100%.

3:34Then that frees you. Someone has done better than you. It doesn't bother you, but you have done your 100%, right? I'm surprised to hear a spiritual guru say that. That it's good to empty the tank and to give 100 % of something. Because you do teach that. You don't believe in just laying around and meditating 100 hours a day and that somehow everything's going to be great in your life. See, meditation is a tool for dynamism. What's that mean? That is, see, you meditate, you recuperate, you find the energy in you. But what do you do with the energy when you don't want to act? it's like you go to the bank you take the money out and if you don't want to spend it what's the point in having money in the bank that's really awesome to hear because um prayer has always been a part of my life but meditation is a newer part of my life and i have found this renewed enthusiasm and energy in my life and clarity also that i didn't have before and i I have to tell you that I've achieved more and more external, whatever you want to call it, as I've given myself the gift of a little bit more emptying of my mind every single day.

4:48I started to do yoga, which will really surprise my audience. I'm doing a lot more yoga. I'm actually going to a yoga retreat the end of May. And it's made a huge difference in my life as well. Now, the other side of the coin that you talk a lot about that's interesting to me is you say the reason why people don't always get what they desire is that potentially they hold on to it too long, meaning they hold on to what they want too long. What do you mean by that? No, actually, what I meant is you really don't realize your potential.

5:26so when you realize you have the potential and you have the right intent the intention starts to manifest but if your intention is clogged with doubts and uncertainty about yourself whether you will be able to do it or not then you find it hard to get what you really wanted do you think that you can hold on to the thing you want so hard that you almost surrender the energy from it. Meaning there's a nuance, I think, in life between having a goal, but also separating from the outcome all the time as you're in the process of achieving it. Does that make sense? In other words, there's a, it's really nuance of being very goal oriented and something I want very badly.

6:13But sometimes I think when we hold onto the outcome too hard and too firmly. It just burns you out. Yes. It just burns you out and it weakens you in many sense. It drains your energy. So what if nature wants to do something bigger for you? Why don't you believe that? You know, the higher self, the higher power wants to give you something much bigger. And your goal is something much smaller. And you're struggling with it. So I always say when you have a goal, you should have a clause to it. This or something better than this. That's really, see, I've been doing this. I'm 52 years old. I've never heard that in my life.

6:57And it's really true because what most people do is they have a goal or something smaller than it. The idea that it could be bigger. And by the way, in my life, God's delivered to me so many dreams and so many achievements in my life and experiences that I never dreamed that are bigger and more beautiful and more magnificent. You know, God knows better than what you know about yourself, right? You have the ability to achieve something more. That's why whenever someone claims their success, I find it's a sort of ignorance. Because you claim success because you think you have only that much potential.

7:33Wow. Now, you've been to some of the most dangerous places in the world, right? You've been to war zones. And you've tried to negotiate peace in some of the most unsettled places in the world. Can you tell me about some of those experiences that you took away when you were there? And what do you do when you sit down with two leaders that literally would like to kill one another or kill one another's people? I mean, that's the most extreme, chaotic, lack of peace environment. And you've tried to negotiate peace in those places. What can you tell us about that? One was in Colombia with the FARC, 52-year-old war.

8:12and then you know in the first place they didn't want to even meet with me they didn't they said you know our God is Karl Marx and we only believe in communism we don't want to meet with anybody we don't believe in any spirituality so then I was giving a talk in University of Havana so they came there they sent some of their feelers check out, check me out really? and then they found I'm an interesting person so they then they were ready to meet with me so when I met with them their hope was that I would help them to change the mind of Colombian government and give them an international support hearing for them so I said yes I understand your predicament you are not having fun in the jungle you are fighting for a cause your cause is to bring social justice to people I said I am for it but the path you have chosen of violence I don't approve on then I spoke to them I do understand them very well but they need to stop violence eschew violence and then come to talks in peace.

9:44And then I meditated with them. They did meditation with me. They meditated with you? They meditated, yes. The next three days, I spent with them every day talking and meditating with them. And the last day, you know, they came on their own to the press conference. Wow. And they said, today we adopt the Gandhian principle of nonviolence. Wow. What? Yeah. When I mentioned this, neither the press nor the government were ready to believe. They said they're just buying time and they saw their gimmicks. I tell them, please give them a benefit of doubt. The benefit of the doubt, which is what we started with.

10:23You know what's interesting? After that, you know, for a month it went on. Then they agreed for a peace process and the peace process happened. Then most interesting thing was we brought the victims. I flew the victims from, you know, from Colombia to Havana, to Cuba. The victims came in front of them and they asked forgiveness with them. Oh my gosh. See, yes, we have caused so much pain to your family. And, you know, they had killed many soldiers. And the families of soldiers came and there was tears. And there was not one dry eye in that place. How beautiful. And then they went on to do this process with many cities.

11:14There are, you know, 20 million people have been affected by the war. Crazy. And, you know, they asked for forgiveness. That is so beautiful. That shows that, you know, like, dignity. Well, I think it also shows that for human beings, that's the most extreme case of lack of peace or they're murdering one another. They're killing each other's children, right? You take that back all the way to a human being who's got strife with their spouse or they're not talking to their mother or father anymore. Or maybe they have self-hatred. Maybe there's an internal battle in most people. And by the way, I think there's an internal battle in a lot of people today.

11:58Absolutely. And in our country, it's red states against blue states and, you know, Democrats against Republicans. And fortunately for us, it hasn't gotten nearly as violent yet as it has in some of these other places. But one of the reasons I do my show, obviously I want to give people the tools to improve their lives and achieve more things. But one of the main reasons I do it is I want people to experience more bliss and more peace in their life. And that's why I've wanted you here so badly for so long. That's exactly what we do. I know what you do. We have these small capsule programs called sky breathing techniques.

12:34And when they practice it, they find themselves in a completely different space. They're able to shed the anger and frustration, get connected with one's own inner state, inner peace. Through breathing. You also have a book coming out called Notes for the Journey Within. Correct. Because that's really the journey I'm on right now. And my audience knows it. I'm on this journey within. then. I've, I think a lot of people master the external game of their life. They get pretty good at achieving different things, but the internal game is a different thing altogether. And so let's talk about that for a minute.

13:18Cause you used meditation as a tool with, with these leaders and part of meditation connected to meditation to me is breathing, right? Is some yoga practices. What would you tell the average person listening to this? Who's like, I don't know about this meditation thing. I can't quiet my mind and, you know, breathing really, you know, I'm going to start breathing better and that's going to change my life. Cause by the way, breath work has absolutely transformed my life. And for me, I must tell you, one of the main reasons your teachings have helped me is I'm sure it's the breathing itself, but it's actually the time I've taken just to be with my body and to be with myself and to just pay more attention to me and my breathing and getting quiet has caused me to be much more, I think I'd call it self-aware and intentional about different things.

14:07So what would you tell people? Because meditation is this broad topic and breathing. What would you share with us? You know, I would call it as a process of mental hygiene, mental hygiene, like dental hygiene. You know, we get so stressed and neither at home nor in school, we learn what to do when we are upset, when our moods are bad, when we are enraged, when we are restless. Nobody has taught us how to manage our mind. And to manage the mind directly is almost impossible. And breath is the leak. For every rhythm in the breath, there is a connection to our emotion and our state of mind. So breathing in certain patterns, certain ways can help us to come out of the despondency we feel with our own moods.

15:04really good what i've noticed when i'm not in control of my breathing and anger rises in me and they've been proving this too that there's a lack of heart and brain coherence that happens at one time and you actually give yourself a kind of a form of a lobotomy when you're very angry and your breathing isn't being regulated you're not paying attention to it you actually give yourself a lobotomy you don't process information as well you don't make good decisions correct and That's what you mean by this hygiene. It's cleaning the system to some extent. Correct, correct, correct. And the breathing and meditation brings clarity in mind and focus in our awareness, you know, in our attention span.

15:46Today what we see is a lack of attention span in colleges and schools. Our attention span is reducing day by day. Breathing and meditation help us to get over this attention deficiency. syndrome. And there is more intuitive ability that comes up within you. You become more creative. And this is what you want, you know, whether you are in business or in academics, all that you need is an intuitive ability, force from within. This is why you're brilliant. Let me tell you, I want to elaborate on that. Can I add to what you just said and acknowledge it? So what my breathing and my meditation work has done for me is my attention span has increased.

16:32And what I noticed with me was odd, like my paying attention to things that were always there that I didn't. This may sound really corny, but it led to business success. So let me tell you, as I started to do more breath work and more meditation work, my ability to pay attention longer has increased tremendously. And I didn't realize how quickly in a day I go, oh, let me check my phone again. Oh, let me see this. Let me turn the TV on. I didn't realize at 52 years old how much my attention span had shrunk. And it sounds funny, but I started to notice, this sounds funny, everybody, but listen to me.

17:07I started to notice wrinkles on my hand that weren't there before. Paying attention to my hand. I've seen things that were there all the time, certain trees in my backyard that have been there the entire time I lived there that I have never seen or recognized before, I've noticed the beauty in these trees. I noticed there's a part of my yard where I didn't even know it, where there's a hill that's in their yard. I thought it was flat. I noticed these little things. You think, well, what does that matter? I don't know, but it gave me a lot of peace and joy. And then when I'm in business meetings, now I'm noticing emotions on people and facial expressions and tonality that I wasn't paying attention to.

17:48That's made me a better speaker, a better businessman, but that goes all the way back to breath work and meditation, these little symptoms showed up of trees and flowers and a breeze that have led to better decision-making. Yes, Ed, you are absolutely right. You know, the first thing that it does is it improves your perception, observation, and expression. You'll be able to express yourself much better, much clearer to people. That's one thing. I mean, the communication breakdown today in the world is because of their lack of expression. and lack of understanding of the others. All these benefits happen.

18:28There are a hundred benefits, you know. There are. Established evidence-based benefits on this. Can you imagine if every world leader of every significant country meditated 30 minutes a day? Oh, we'll have a wonderful day. Can you imagine? Let me ask you this. What do we get wrong about meditation? Is there something that culture gets wrong about it that they don't understand that's a mistaken belief system about it? I don't think any religion or any faith-based organization opposes meditation. Meditation is getting connected to yourself. That makes your prayers deeper. I have a comparison between prayer and meditation.

19:11Prayer is like, God, give me this, give me that. Meditation is, oh, here I am ready to listen to you. What do you have to say to me? That's so good. Do you know that my dreams have become more vivid and clear also at night? I just want everybody to hear this. And I'm telling you, this isn't foofy stuff. I mean, it's foofy stuff, but it's also business stuff. It's life stuff. What you just said about your ability to express yourself and to communicate. Now, since you used the word self, let's go pretty deep here because there's other stuff I won't ask you. So you said self. What is self? I've heard you say you are not your body.

19:47you are not even your thoughts or your mind. So who am I? What is self then? If I'm not my thoughts, I'm not my mind, and I'm not my body, what and who are we? We cannot say I'm just my body. I'm not just my thoughts. I'm not just my emotions. You cannot say I'm not the body, but you can say I'm not just my body. Not just, okay. I'm much more than the body, because body is changing but there is something in me that's not changing. Our thoughts are changing. Emotions are changing. There is one aspect in you that is a reference point of all changes. Without that, you can't even notice changes. Right?

20:30Right. You can't say, I have changed unless there is somebody inside who has not changed. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Yep. So, change can only be noticed with a reference which is non-change. And this non-changing aspect inside of you that doesn't die, that doesn't, you know, age and that source of all energy is not an entity, but it is a field. It's an energy. And with this reference in life, our other activities, our emotions, our dealings, everything gets a good foot hold. They become very stable. You know, the glimpse of your non-changing entity or aspect inside of you can make your life so much more stable and powerful and focused and, you know, can give impetence to your activity, your dynamism.

21:42Do you think that that's why I've, I want to ask you this because this is recent work for me, like call it a year that I've been doing.

21:53I've noticed that things that used to make me very worried or very angry or give me great anxiety or trepidation. Doesn't do it anymore. It doesn't do it anymore. Or at least it does it a lot less. Is that a product of this? Absolutely. Do you have that? You're right on the dot, yes. Yeah. You may get upset even now, but that doesn't stay too long. Right. Even you may get angry, you know, you may shout something, but, you know, it doesn't just touch you, it doesn't sink into you so much. So there is a part of you which remains very blissful, calm, steady, and, you know, serene. You're right. My faith has always given me a great deal of comfort.

22:41I'm a Christian. It's always given me a great deal of comfort and perspective. But my breath work and my meditation work has given me a perspective and calmness that shocks me. Because what you said about me, I've always thought, you know what? I run a little hot. I'm just a wound up guy. You know, and I found that actually I don't think that's me. I think that that was a program I was running for years that I almost became addicted to these emotions of frustration and anxiety and worry and a little sprinkling a little anger from time to time. That was kind of my cocktail of my emotions. And I find lately it's more like gratitude and bliss and peace and perspective.

23:34It's changed. Oh, you're right. You know, this is what even, you know, what Jesus said, the kingdom of God is within you. Unless you become like a child from within, you know, getting into that space of innocence within you, you can't get to the kingdom of my father. Do you do anything to study yourself? So you flew 18 hours last night, at least, plus the drive, plus this, plus that, plus it's L.A. You're driving to me today. Is there anything you do before an interview like this or a moment like this or a day that helps center you? Is there something specific that you do? No, I don't do anything.

24:15Honestly? Yeah. It's just your state of being now. Yes. You know, when you keep doing something for some time and then it becomes very obvious in your nature and you don't need to do anymore. you but you do believe in karma and your definition of karma is something i had not heard before also i thought karma was like i do something bad it's going to come back around and get me i do something good it's going to come back around and bless me but you you i want to i don't give it away but you define karma as what see karma is the impression in the mind karma has three connotations one is it's the impressions and then it is the tendencies and it is the fruit of the action that you have already executed so action is also called karma action is karma that was the difference for me what do you mean when you say that because that was the difference, that action is karma.

25:18There is a term called karma yogi. Means you are putting your 100 % and not worried about the result. That is karma yogi. And your action is an expression of joy rather than expecting joy out of the action. Wow. Can you say that again? Say that again. See, usually you are doing a work to get joy from that. Yes. instead of joy as a product of action, now hear joy as an instrument of action. You are happy and so you do it. You know? Those are the people that I remember in my life. You know, those are the people that, the reason I want you to say it again, the people that I have recollections of that made impressions on me, they are joyful in their actions.

26:13Not trying to get joy from the result of their actions. No, you put your 100 % and your action is out of joy. Yeah, I think about watching Michael Jordan dunk a basketball with his tongue out, you know, and he's about to dunk. He's just in such bliss as he was doing what he did. Yes. Or a great artist playing a song and they're just lost in it, right? Or a speaker on the stage or an incredible school teacher teaching a lesson or a mother with their baby. You love what you're doing. Right. And you're not expecting some result out of it. Even if you expect that doesn't matter, but it's an expression of joy.

26:51That's what I meant earlier when I said separating from outcome, not being so caught up in the end result as the payoff. Correct. And I think there's actually studies now in the brain that say even when you get to the payoff, that the dopamine in your brain actually crashes when you get the reward. That the actual dopamine spike, the joy in your brain is actually in the process. In the process of action. They've actually measured it in the brain now. So it's how right you are. You also talk a lot about intuition and intuitive power. And I used to not rely on that. The Bible even talks about discernment as a gift, right?

27:32And I used to fear my intuition and not trust it and think, no, I've got to research this or know it. But people that I know that, you know, frankly, make great decisions in their life, they tap into their intuitive power. And you believe that we all have intuitive power, correct? Absolutely. Every single person, even animals do have intuition. In fact, they're even more intuitive than human beings. We have intuitive power and we need to tap into it. That makes life a lot more fun and a lot more easier. How do you do that? By just listening to that whisper, that voice in your heart, in your head?

28:10But you need to have clarity in mind. If your mind is all with buzz of too many things and worries, forget about intuition. Again, here, breathing and breath work and meditation helps you to connect to that deeper self inside of you, which is not changing. What specific thing, I want him to read the book and I want him to go to your courses too, so I don't give too much. But what about breathing? What could you teach us right now as it relates to our breathing that would benefit us? See, the first act of life is you took a deep breath in. Then you started crying. The last act of our life is you'll breathe out and you'll make others cry.

28:52Yeah. If you don't do that, then you have not lived a good life. Wow. So in between when we are breathing every day and night, we are releasing toxins from the body. We are bringing rest over subconscious, unconscious mind. But we seldom attend to the breath, which has several patterns, several rhythms. So by attending to the rhythm of the breath or breathing it in certain rhythms, sets the clock in its right perspective. You know, no point in having a clock showing Eastern time here in West Coast, right? Or giving time of Israel sitting in USA. So you need to set your clock to the current position where you are.

29:47It's really true. Like that our mind, our body, our breath, our intellect, our memory, all these seven, our faculties, inner faculties, gets into rhythm. Mm-hmm. And so we are in the present moment. That's what breathing has done for me. Focusing on my breath has brought me to the, I have a hard, I had a hard time just getting quiet, emptying my mind. And when I started to focus on my breath work, I realized I'm right here right now. And it's easy. Yeah. And it's easy. It is so easy. It's interesting in life. The things that are the most wonderful in our lives, we need to be careful not to take for granted.